The Science of Saving Art: Can Microbes Protect Masterpieces?
Monday, February 9, 2009 - 20:28
in Biology & Nature
Art conservationists, curators and scientists from around the world are gathering this week in Caracas, Venezuela, to address some of the burgeoning concerns about the state of art and artifact collections around the world–particularly those in tropical climes, which are under assault from mold, fungus and insects. At the Forum on Cultural Heritage Conservation, researchers are highlighting the many macro-abilities of microorganisms in the art world, which range from detecting whether a gallery's air quality might be harmful to delicate objects d'arts to actually cleaning a dirty piece with helpful bacteria. [More]